Messier 62 is a globular cluster in Ophiuchus, 20,900 light-years away
Messier 62 (M62, NGC 6266, MWSC 2512) is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus , 20,900 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 6.6 and spans 15′ of sky, about 91 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
Globular cluster: a ball of 100,000 to a few million old stars packed into a sphere about 100 light-years across. About 160 orbit the Milky Way, most of them in the halo around its center.
Finding Messier 62 from Larawag
Larawag
Messier 62
OPHIUCHUS
Messier 62 lies 4.8° northeast of Larawag , the magnitude 2.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 62 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -0° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -70° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -79° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 17° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -85° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -79° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -56° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -69° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -51° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -44° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 50° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 69° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 67° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 84° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 78° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -12° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 60°N, and never sets south of 60°S.
Messier 62 is 20,900 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 62 tonight left it about 20,900 years ago. It ranks 49 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021.
Objects within 6° of Messier 62
NGC 6304, globular cluster, 3.0° M19, globular cluster, 3.9° NGC 6316, globular cluster, 3.9° NGC 6293, globular cluster, 4.0° NGC 6284, globular cluster, 5.4°
Messier 62 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M62, NGC 6266, MWSC 2512 Type globular cluster Constellation Ophiuchus Right ascension (J2000) 17h 01.2m Declination (J2000) -30° 07′ Magnitude 6.6 Apparent size 15′ True size 91 light-years Distance 20,900 light-years (Baumgardt and Vasiliev 2021) Best month July Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 85
